# DNS Lookup

Canonical: https://inetgeek.com/tools/dns-lookup/

Query the live DNS records behind any domain or hostname.

This is a live lookup tool and needs JavaScript; there is no static result to show here. Run it at the canonical URL, or query a domain directly by appending ?domain=example.com to that URL.

## What a DNS lookup returns

A DNS lookup asks a resolver what records are published for a name. The answer depends on the record type: an A record returns an IPv4 address, an AAAA record returns an IPv6 address, and a CNAME returns another name that the lookup then follows.
This tool queries public recursive resolvers over DNS-over-HTTPS and shows what they return right now. It reads the same data your browser would, without the browser cache in the way.

## Address records: A, AAAA and CNAME

A and AAAA records map a hostname directly to an address. A domain can publish several of each, and resolvers may return them in any order — that is a common way to spread traffic across servers.
A CNAME points one name at another instead of at an address. Because a CNAME replaces all other data at that name, it cannot coexist with other record types on the same label. That is why a CNAME is not valid at the apex of a domain, where NS and SOA records must live.

## Why results can differ between tools

Every record carries a TTL — the number of seconds a resolver may cache it. Two tools querying different resolvers can legitimately return different answers while a change is still propagating, because one resolver is serving a cached copy.
If you have just changed a record and want to know whether it has settled, the propagation checker compares several resolvers side by side.

## Reference

- [A record](https://inetgeek.com/dns/a-record/): Maps a hostname to an IPv4 address.
- [AAAA record](https://inetgeek.com/dns/aaaa-record/): Maps a hostname to an IPv6 address.
- [CNAME record](https://inetgeek.com/dns/cname-record/): Points one hostname at another name.
- [TTL](https://inetgeek.com/dns/ttl/): How long resolvers may cache a DNS answer.
- [Wildcard records](https://inetgeek.com/dns/wildcard-record/): Match any subdomain that has no record of its own.

## Related tools

- [MX Lookup](https://inetgeek.com/tools/mx-lookup/): Find the mail servers handling email for a domain.
- [DNS Propagation Checker](https://inetgeek.com/tools/dns-propagation/): Compare what several public resolvers currently return for a record.
- [SPF Checker](https://inetgeek.com/tools/spf-checker/): Inspect and validate a domain's SPF policy.